LGBT community Bee arrives in Sackville Gardens

Some time ago we reported that the LGBTQ+ Queen Bee came from the idea of community activist Carl Austin-Behan who wanted to bring together and engage Manchester’s Vibrant LGBTQ+ Community, giving everybody the opportunity to be a part of this ambitious art project.

After setting up a crowd funding website all members of the community came together to raise the funds in supporting “Bee in The City MCR” with “OUR” very own Bee – over 50 generous donations were initially received by Supporters, Partners and Individuals. Continuous support being provided by Corptel UK, LGBT Foundation & Manchester Pride providing longevity here in Sackville Gardens - the Heart of Manchester’s Gay Village.

A special thanks to Christian Taylor, Ben Sedman, Anthony Taylor and Claire Taylor along with many family and friends for their hard work and support towards making this dream & vision a reality – “Over 220 man hours”.

The LGBTQ+ Queen Bee which is a collaboration between CJTaylord Art and Ben Sedman Photography, and has been designed around the Rainbow Flag, a symbol of LGBT Pride, equality, inclusion and diversity. The aim was to ensure the sculpture was a definitive symbol of a city and community which encourages and inspires us to accept, embrace and celebrate life in all its glorious forms.

Organised by global public art producer Wild in Art in partnership with Manchester City Council, the Bee in the City trail will live in locations across the city and beyond for nine weeks, providing unmissable, free, family-friendly entertainment for Mancunians and visitors to enjoy, whilst taking in the city’s landmarks, cultural gems and areas they may not have explored before.

Music is in Manchester’s heart and adding to this strand are the Bee Live in MCR signed by A-listers the Rolling Stones, Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift, I Wanna Bee Adored signed by the Stone Roses’ bassist Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield, plus Bee Here Now, a design which celebrates the Manchester music scene as a whole, with portraits ranging from Oasis and Joy Division to Herman’s Hermits.

Sally-Ann Wilkinson, Director of Wild in Art, said: “Bee in the City is a celebration of Manchester’s diversity, creativity and culture. Each individual Bee represents our fantastic city’s many achievements, from its legendary music scene to scientific discoveries and industrial heritage.

Manchester is such a unique city in many ways, and one of those is its ability to bring people together. Different sectors have collaborated to create this fabulous event, including the public and private sectors, schools and community groups. As well as a celebration of creativity, the trail is also a celebration of unity.

It’s going to be a summer filled with joy as families and friends take to the streets to complete the trail. I hope that people will remember 2018 as the year that the Bees came to Manchester!”

A Bee in the City app will be available for visitors to track and collect each Bee on the trail, unlocking offers and rewards at many locations. There will also be a trail map of the giant Bees which can be collected from hubs around the city before the trail goes live.

The ultimate message of our community Bee is #LoveIsLove.

The Bee will be located in Sackville Gardens from Monday 23rd July 2018. On Twitter? Follow them here.

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